The Department of Workforce Development is pleased to announce an expanded schedule of free work readiness classes designed to support job seekers, employees, and employers across Bermuda, running from October through December 2026.
In addition to established sessions on résumé writing, cover letters, interview preparation and job search strategies, the Department has introduced several new topics to address the broader skills needed to succeed in today’s workplace. These include Money Management Basics, Emotional Intelligence and Workplace Resilience, Work Ethic and Accountability, Career Pathways and Growth Planning, and Communication and Influence in the Workplace.
Dedicated Navigating Bermuda Job Connect sessions will also be offered separately for job seekers and employers, ensuring each group receives practical guidance tailored to its experience on the platform.
Acting Director of Workforce Development Sonya Clarke said, “Work readiness extends beyond securing a job. It includes building the confidence, knowledge and practical skills needed to succeed and grow in the workplace. By expanding our training programme, we are responding to the evolving needs of Bermuda’s workforce and helping individuals prepare for meaningful, sustainable employment.”
Other sessions will cover transferable skills, critical thinking, time management, reading comprehension, employee rights and responsibilities, and workplace success.
Classes will be held at the Department of Workforce Development Training Facility at Bermuda College. Space is limited, and advance registration is encouraged.
To view the complete schedule and register, visit dwd.bm or scan the QR code included with the promotional material.
Five Bermuda College students have been awarded scholarships from Athene for the 2026-2027 academic year. Each scholarship covers the full cost of the student’s associate degree program, including books and other essential expenses.
This year’s Athene Bermuda College Scholarship recipients are Yasir Boukhloufi, Ashrey Cannonier, Sha-Danna’ Johnson, Solay Marson and Dasia-Nae Scott. All five students are pursuing an associate of arts in business administration.
“Each scholarship represents an investment in a student’s potential and in the future of Bermuda,” said Natasha Scotland Courcy, CEO and General Counsel of Athene Life Re. “We are proud to help these five students pursue their goals and develop the knowledge needed to build careers in industries that are vital to Bermuda’s economy.”
“Without Athene’s support, I would not have been able to graduate and pursue my career in computer science,” said Maya Proverbs, a 2024 scholarship recipient. “I graduated from Bermuda College with Merit, and because of my academic performance, I was accepted to every university in England to which I applied.”
The Athene Bermuda College Scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence and financial need. To qualify, applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be Bermudian or have a Permanent Resident’s Certificate status. They must also be enrolled full time in an associate degree program related to insurance or international business.
“Receiving the Athene Scholarship gave me the support I needed to focus on my studies and work toward the results I hoped for,” said Shei-Anne Peets, a 2024 scholarship recipient. “The annuity and retirement services sector is clearly one of the largest growth engines in the Bermuda insurance industry, and I am excited to apply the skills I am developing in this evolving and exciting field.
“I also deeply appreciate all that Athene has done, not only for me, but also for the wider Bermuda community. A company that truly cares about its home and is committed to helping Bermudians succeed is one that I would be proud to someday join.”
Since launching the scholarship in 2019, Athene has awarded scholarships to 50 students, including this year’s recipients.
For more information about Athene, please visit www.athene.com.
Today, the Ministry of Economy and Labour released the Department of Statistics’ April 2026 Consumer Price Index (attached).
In summary, consumers paid 2.5 per cent more in April 2026 than they did a year ago for the basket of goods and services included in the Consumer Price Index [CPI]. This level of inflation increased 0.1 percentage points from the March 2026 annual inflation rate. Some highlights for April 2025 to April 2026 include:
The Health & Personal Care division increased 4.8 per cent.
The Transport & Foreign Travel division rose 5.2 per cent.
The Food division increased 4.0 per cent.
The Education, Recreation, Entertainment & Reading division increased 2.7 per cent.
The Fuel & Power division decreased 7.7 per cent.
Between March 2026 and April 2026, the average cost of goods and services increased 0.8 per cent. Additional areas of note between March 2026 and April 2026 were as follows:
The Health & Personal Care division increased 3.8 per cent.
The Food division rose 1.1 per cent.
The Education, Recreation, Entertainment & Reading division increased 0.2 per cent.
The Transport & Foreign Travel division increased 0.2 per cent.
*Note: The Government measures the annual and monthly inflation rates. Annual changes are from the same month last year, and monthly changes are from month to month. The April 2026 Consumer Price Index is available online at https://www.gov.bm/consumer-price-index.
Today, the Ministry of Economy and Labour released the April 2026 Retail Sales Index publication (attached).
April’s volume of retail sales index decreased 3.2 per cent compared to last year. In value terms, retail sales increased to an estimated $113.4 million.
Three of the seven sectors recorded year-over-year volume index decreases in April 2026:
The sales volume at Building Material Stores decreased 17.5 per cent.
The sales volume at Apparel Stores decreased 6.7 per cent.
The All Other Store Types sector (comprising stores selling household items, furniture, appliances, electronics, pharmaceuticals and tourist-related goods), sales volume decreased 1.5 per cent.
Bermudian Michael Madeiros vice captain of the St Andrews College (SAC) delivered at both ends of the pitch this weekend, scoring in back-to-back games while helping anchor the St. Andrew’s College (SAC) defence during an outstanding weekend that included a statement result against Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH), ranked #7 in the United States by Sports Illustrated’s High School On SI Prep Soccer rankings.
Madeiros was joined by fellow Bermudian Jah’Zion Taylor and Bermuda resident Heris Ziai, continuing a strong Bermuda presence within SAC 1st Soccer as the Saints begin another highly anticipated season.
For Madeiros, now in his senior year at SAC and holding a leadership role as Vice Captain, the weekend demonstrated just how much his game has developed. Primarily known for his composure, defensive awareness and commitment at the back, the Bermudian defender added another dimension to his performance by finding the net in both games over the weekend. His two goals highlight his increasing ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Madeiros has become a threat going forward, particularly in the air and from set pieces, while continuing to provide a calm and dependable presence in the SAC back line.
Heris Ziai also made his presence felt in the opening game, adding to a strong weekend for SAC’s Bermuda contingent. Alongside Madeiros and Jah’Zion Taylor, the three senior players continue to play important roles within a Saints squad that has significant ambitions for the 2026 season.
The result against Northfield Mount Hermon was particularly significant. NMH entered the weekend ranked among the leading prep soccer programmes in the United States, making SAC’s performance an early statement from a team hoping to continue an extraordinary run of success. The upset also attracted attention beyond the pitch, including on Q107 Toronto’s Rock Station, where the matchup was described in David-and-Goliath terms the Canadian Saints taking on one of the highest-ranked prep soccer programmes in the United States and coming away with a memorable result.
This season, the Saints have their sights set on something particularly special: a three-peat in both the CISAA regional championship and the CAIS national championship which has not happened in the schools football history. SAC has captured both titles in each of the past two seasons, an achievement the programme has referred to as its “Double Double.” The 2026 squad now has the opportunity to extend that run by winning both championships for a third consecutive year.
The Bermuda trio are positioned to play an important role in that pursuit. Madeiros provides experience and composure at the back while increasingly showing his ability to contribute offensively. Taylor brings pace, confident dribbling and an attacking threat on the wing, while Ziai adds versatility, experience and an ability to influence play in both attacking and defensive areas. All three are now seniors, giving the Bermuda players an opportunity to make their final season at SAC a memorable one. Their performances also continue to showcase Bermuda football on a wider North American stage. SAC regularly competes against leading Canadian and American prep-school and academy programmes as well as showcases attended by soccer coaches from Canadian and US Universities, providing the players with exposure to a high level of competition and opportunities.
With Madeiros scoring in both games, Ziai contributing to the attack and the Saints producing a major result against Sports Illustrated’s #7-ranked team, the weekend provided an impressive early indication of what this SAC team may be capable of accomplishing.
For the Bermuda boys, the objective now is clear: continue contributing to the Saints’ success and help SAC pursue an unprecedented third consecutive CISAA regional and CAIS national championship double.
About St. Andrew’s College Soccer
St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario, competes at the regional, national and international level, providing student-athletes with opportunities to combine high-level soccer with a rigorous academic programme. The Saints regularly compete against leading Canadian and U.S. prep-school and academy programmes.
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment wishes to advise the public that the previously announced lane closure on Harrington Sound Road, to accommodate a water line crossing, has been rescheduled.
The works are now scheduled to take place from Tuesday, 29 September 2026 through Thursday, 1 October 2026.
Please see the attached amended Road Traffic Notice for full details regarding the closure and traffic arrangements.
The Ministry thanks the public for its patience and cooperation while these necessary works are carried out.
Statement by Robin Tucker, Shadow Minister for Youth & Family Services:
The One Bermuda Alliance is deeply concerned by news that 10 Bermudian children were sent to overseas therapeutic facilities over the last two years without the protection of a litigation guardian. This is a systemic failure to safeguard the interests of our children and a clear indication that Bermuda’s child‑welfare framework is not functioning optimally.
The primary duty of litigation guardians is to protect children who desperately need support and guidance in an unfamiliar court system. If the courts fail to appoint one, who advocates for children without independent support? The Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors suggested the child would still have its own voice, but that is completely realistic and an unfair burden to place on a child in a courtroom; that is why litigation guardians are needed in the first place.
This Government was required by the courts to implement a litigation guardian system to meet its obligations under the Children’s Act 1998. That system is intended to guarantee independent representation for children, yet the Government’s actions suggest an inadequate effort to fulfill that obligation.
While the courts play a role, the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors carries direct responsibility for ensuring the welfare of Bermuda’s children. It is correct that the courts assign litigation guardians — but they do so from the pool of candidates appointed by the Minister. Minister Furbert confirmed this in the House of Assembly recently. When pressed, she admitted she doesn’t know why the courts did not assign a litigation guardian for the 10 children.
Section 35(1) of the Act requires the court to appoint a litigation guardian unless it is satisfied that it is unnecessary. Sending a child overseas is a major, life‑altering decision involving separation from Bermuda, family contact, and cultural connections. In such circumstances, the absence of an appointed guardian, and the Minister’s admission that she has no understanding of why the courts deemed representation “unnecessary”, is deeply disappointing.
Appointing a litigation guardian for every child in the care of the Department of Child and Family Services who is being considered for overseas placement, should be the minimum standard.
The Minister responsible for child welfare, budgets for litigation guardians, appears to have relinquished the responsibility to the courts. A system intended to ensure that children’s voices are heard is failing them, and the Minister’s suggestion that her Ministry “can only continue to provide training” to help improve the shortfall is wholly inadequate. Training alone does not fix a defective system.
Child‑welfare failures have persisted for decades. Generations of Bermudian children have been trapped in a system that hasn’t fully protected them.
In 2020, OBA MP Scott Pearman called for an independent Commission of Inquiry into Bermuda’s child protection services, and today we renew that call. The system is broken, and everything must be done to fix it.
This is not about blaming anyone. It is about taking responsibility for building a system that genuinely improves the lives of children and ensures that decisions made on their behalf are truly in their best interests. Bermuda’s children deserve a child‑welfare structure that protects them, advocates for them, and supports the generations who will one day be responsible for shaping the future of our island.
Muse for Small Business can connect with Instagram professional account analytics, Facebook Pages and Meta ad accounts, as well as tools including Asana, Box, Dropbox, Figma, Klaviyo, Notion, Slack and Zoom
Illustration shows Meta Muse logo, keyboard and robotics hand in this illustration taken September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
International News via Reuters:
Meta Platforms is expanding its AI agent Muse to small businesses, adding integrations with tools such as Shopify, QuickBooks, Stripe and Canva to help owners run their businesses and find new customers, as the Facebook-parent aims to diversify its revenue beyond advertising.
Here are more details:
• Muse for Small Business can connect with Instagram professional account analytics, Facebook Pages and Meta ad accounts, as well as tools including Asana, Box, Dropbox, Figma, Klaviyo, Notion, Slack and Zoom.
• Meta said Muse can connect to dozens of business tools, allowing it to work with a company’s brand, storefront, books and customer records.
• The company said Muse will not publish content, send messages or make purchases without a user’s approval.
• Meta said Muse is free for most uses, while subscription plans will be available for users seeking additional features.
• Muse, which Meta launched earlier this month, is a personal AI agent designed to complete tasks including shopping, travel booking, emailing and payments on users’ behalf.
• The app has topped free-app charts in the US and Canada in recent weeks with market intelligence firm Sensor Tower estimated Muse recorded about 2.8 million downloads in its first two weeks.
Seven months before the election, and just two days before the government unveils its 2027 budget draft, opinion polls consistently show the deep unpopularity of France’s centre-right government and of President Emmanuel Macron
French high school students block access to the Lycee Arago high school in Paris as part of a day of strikes and protests by public sector workers, including firefighters, in France, September 29, 2026. REUTERS/Lucien Libert
International News via Reuters:
French civil servants went on strike on Tuesday and high school students blocked the entrances to schools in a show of discontent with planned budget cuts ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Seven months before the election, and just two days before the government unveils its 2027 budget draft, opinion polls consistently show the deep unpopularity of France’s centre-right government and of President Emmanuel Macron.
There were no official figures yet on how many teachers and other civil servants were on strike. Limited disruption was reported on public transport in the morning. Healthcare workers were expected to join 170 rallies across the country later.
The student protests have been gaining momentum over the past days.
TV images showed garbage containers on fire outside a high school in Lille on Tuesday. Newspaper Le Progres reported clashes between police and pupils outside a school in Lyon. There were also tensions outside schools in Nice.
PROTEST BANNERS OUTSIDE SCHOOLS
Up to 1 in 10 high school entrances were blockaded in Paris, according to French media.
A placard reading “Macron explosion” was displayed in front of the entrance of the Arago school in Paris, where students, some with their faces covered, sat and stood on dumpsters to block the entrance. A large banner in front of the Helene-Boucher school said “Fewer cops, More money”.
“We want fewer police because we think there is a huge amount of police repression, both against high school student movements and social movements more generally,” said Mael Breton, a final-year student at the Helene-Boucher school.
“We believe this is a real problem, especially when there is such a lack of funding … here at our school and in the national education system more broadly.”
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned protests at high schools on Monday as irresponsible, saying on X: “Fireworks, fires, violence near high schools: Nothing justifies endangering students, staff, or police officers.”
However, he acknowledged that the “difficulties of high schools must be heard and addressed”.
BUDGET SAVINGS PLANNED
France’s economy will grow less than expected this year, which will complicate the minority government’s task of getting its 2027 budget passed, as it seeks to put a lid on spending and stop the fiscal deficit spiralling out of control.
Lecornu said this month the government planned a €54 billion savings drive – potentially further inflaming workers in several sectors who have protested over the past weeks over issues including pay and fuel prices.
Teachers, firefighters and other civil servants are demanding better working conditions and asking for salary increases. French teachers are paid less on average than colleagues in other European countries.
Professional firefighters, whose lack of resources was laid bare during this summer’s huge wildfires, were among those set to take part in protest marches during the day.
The French civilian aviation regulator warned of disruption to flights at some airports.
The government has already unveiled measures to help households cope with a spike in energy prices driven by the war with Iran, but it has failed to quell the discontent with Macron and his government.
Far-right National Rally chief Marine Le Pen and hard-left France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon are likely to qualify for next year’s presidential election runoff, with Le Pen seen best placed to win, the surveys show.
High school students could join the healthcare workers’ rallies, CGT union leader Sophie Binet said.
“This summer, who was on the front line? It wasn’t the billionaires, the big bosses or the shareholders. It was civil servants and working people. And how are they being thanked? By cutting their pay? So the anger is enormous,” she told BFMTV.
Reporting by Inti Landauro, Jean-Stéphane Brosse, Mateusz Rabiega; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Alison Williams
EU antitrust regulators ordered the US tech giant in July to help online search rivals and artificial intelligence developers use services available to its Gemini AI model under rules known as the Digital Markets Act, which is aimed at reining in Big Tech
International News via Reuters:
Alphabet’s Google has challenged two EU orders to help AI rivals such as OpenAI access its services and search engine competitors to access its search data, saying these would undermine privacy safeguards and cause irreversible harm to European users.
EU antitrust regulators ordered the US tech giant in July to help online search rivals and artificial intelligence developers use services available to its Gemini AI model under rules known as the Digital Markets Act, which is aimed at reining in Big Tech.
The challenges escalate a clash between Google and EU regulators over the scope of the Digital Markets Act, with the company arguing that compliance measures designed to open up competition would come at the cost of user privacy and security.
The changes will kick in next year. Google filed its challenges to the Luxembourg-based General Court, Europe’s second-highest court, on Monday.
“We’re appealing decisions that will force us to share people’s private search history without sufficient anonymisation and weaken vital security protections on Android,” Google’s senior director of competition, Oliver Bethell, said in a statement.
“People use Search for their most personal questions — from medical worries to close relationships — and mandating we share these personal queries without adequate safeguards would cause irreversible harm to user privacy,” he said.
The European Commission, which enforces the DMA, has said the two measures contain robust safeguards protecting the privacy of users, device integrity and security.
DuckDuckGo, a US-based internet privacy company known for its search engine that does not track users’ search history or personal data, backed the EU watchdog.
“The anonymization framework is robust and no amount of manufactured doubt changes that. The only thing an appeal buys Google is time,” a DuckDuckGo spokesperson said.
Reporting by Foo Yun Chee in Brussels; Editing by Matthew Lewis
The big picture in currency markets is one of a steadily strengthening dollar, and sterling was not immune
International News via Reuters:
The pound fell against the dollar on Tuesday, caught up in the global trend, but strengthened marginally against the euro as traders awaited a speech by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at his governing Labour Party’s annual conference.
The big picture in currency markets is one of a steadily strengthening dollar, and sterling was not immune. The pound lost 0.2% to $1.3226, close to a three-month low, as elevated US bond yields and oil prices combined to boost the dollar.
But the pound did manage to strengthen against the euro for a third day, with the common currency last down 0.1% at 85.72 pence.
Burnham will speak later in the day and offer an “honest conversation” with Britain to spell out the trade-offs in tackling some of the nation’s deepest problems, such as social care and the control of utilities, in his first conference speech as prime minister.
The speech may not have a dramatic effect on markets, but finance minister John Healey on Monday managed to elicit a small positive reaction for the pound and helped British government bonds, known as gilts, avoid the worst of the global selling.
Societe Generale analyst Kenneth Broux said the pound and gilts had outperformed peers on Monday after Healey’s pledge for fiscal responsibility.
“But it will take more convincing for gilts that the government is serious about stabilising spending. PM Burnham faces a tricky balancing act,” Broux added.
Also in the background for the pound was Bank of England data showing that unsecured lending to British households in August rose at the fastest annual pace since at least 1993.
Department monitors system after weekend plumbing repairs
Media Release:
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment advises that water service has been restored at Westgate Correctional Facility following repairs completed on Sunday, 27 September.
An initial repair restored service on Friday, 25 September, but a further failure caused another interruption. The Department of Public Lands and Buildings worked through the weekend with its plumbing contractor and the Government Water Section to install a replacement connection and restore the supply.
The Ministry apologises to staff and those in custody for the disruption. While repairs were under way, we worked with the Department of Corrections to maintain essential operations and provide access to water.
The Department of Public Lands and Buildings will continue to monitor the system to make sure the supply remains stable.
A full assessment of the condition of each correctional facility is under way and is expected to be completed shortly. This assessment will establish the scope of work needed to address longstanding issues and guide the Government’s plans for significant investment in these facilities.
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